The Duelists

Iron Maiden

He threw down a glove you made the mistake
Of picking it up now you're gone
The choosing of guns or fighting with swords
The choice of weapons is done
He'll tear you apart as soon as you start
You know you don't have a chance.

CHORUS
OH...OH...Fight for the honour
Fight for the splendour
Fight for the pleasure
OH...OH...Fight for the honour
Fight for the splendour
Fight for your life!

Ready to start the duel begins the best man wins in the end.
A lunge and a feint, a parry too late
A cut to the chest and you're down
Seeing the stain then feeling the pain
Feeling the sweat on your brow.

CHORUS

The fighting resumes, a silence looms the swordsmen move 'gainst each
other
A cut and a thrust, a parry, a blow, a stab to the heart and you're down
The Angel of Death hears your last breath
Meanwhile the Reaper looks on.

CHORUS
OH...OH...Fought the honour
Fought for the splendour
Fought for the pleasure
OH...OH...Fought for the honour
fought for the splendour
Fought to the death


Lyrics submitted by numb

The Duelists song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • +1
    General Commenti would say considering Iron Maidens penchant for writing songs based on books & films that this song was inspired by the movie The Duelists (based on a Josepf Conrad story).
    Great movie check it out
    JeffKaos71on July 08, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General CommentA song about a man whose mouth wrote a cheque his ass couldn't cash.
    HatFullaRainon September 06, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General CommentInteressting, seem to be describing a real medieval duel.
    By the way is it me or Maiden made a couple of song that sounds pretty much the same.
    TheEyeIsBlindon January 08, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThis is one of IM's greatest written and organized songs. The sequence makes it a very easy song to listen to and understand. This song kicks ass.
    MaidenHell81on August 10, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentSimply the best Maiden song ever. It's one im proud to blast in the car with the windows down, bellowing out the chorus. I love the end chorus where Bruce hits the note ever so slightly higher.

    the meaning is basically easy to understand if you listen to the lyrics. two people fighting against each other. Self explanitory.
    DarthBelchon September 01, 2006   Link
  • 0
    Song MeaningWow, nobody knows what this is actually about. Bruce wrote this song (as well as Flash of the Blade) after he picked up the sport of fencing. My fencing trainer got to meet Bruce at my trainer's trainer's house one time.
    JediNerdon January 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My OpinionYou have the right to dislike the song, but please name it correctly. It's Back in the Village, not Return to the Village.

    This song is quite difficult to play, and it's lyrics are a continuation to the song The Prisoner. I don't understand why it would be "embaressedly written".
    CurseofFeanoron June 30, 2017   Link
  • -1
    General CommentAbout a duel between duelists.
    Duh.
    Anyway, this is my least favorite song on Powerslave next to Return to The Village; go figure, with everyone praising it and all. It's ever-so-bland and vanilla-sounding(as opposed to Return to the Village sucking because it was embaressedly written.)
    Reaverboton May 07, 2008   Link

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